Greetings from the Past
by Setsuna Seta
Summary: Harry Poter died and Draco's heart was broken to pieces... will Draco accept such a thing or will he fight for his love? Pairings HPDM HPOC HGRW
1. Still Alive

Before the story begins I must say that I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters. Only this particular story is mine and I really hope you like it.

XXX XXX XXX

**Chapter one: Still Alive**

It was July's last week and students were bound to return to school soon. It was peaceful about and the brown-haired woman inwardly regretted that such quiet and silence would soon be broken by packs of students bustling around, just like every year. Admiring the empty place, she was determined to take in every last bit of it she could before the scenery would change.

"There you are, I've been looking all over for you"

The young woman turned around to face whomever had called out for her. Red hair and freckles met her sight.

"Why?"

"Well… I just wanted to be with you…"

She smiled. It was good to have a lonely stroll across the grounds, but it was better having the man standing in front of her for company. He looked down at her returning the smile as she reached out to take his hand and began the silent walk towards nowhere in particular.

Just as they were about to leave through the front doors for a walk outside, a transparent someone caught up with them.

"Professor!"

They both turned around and met the hovering ghost.

"Hello Nicholas" greeted the woman.

"Good evening" answered the ghost, "I'm really sorry to interrupt, but the Headmistress would like a word with you"

"Oh, right… Well, tell her I'll be right over"

With a final bow, the ghost disappeared and left the couple alone once again.

"Professor McGonagall needs to talk to me" she said.

"Then don't keep her waiting. I'll meet you at dinner, okay?'

"Alright. Oh, and one last thing" she reached up to him, standing on tiptoe, wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a light kiss, "I love you Ron" she whispered before parting and making her way towards the Headmistress' office.

Hermione Granger, the new Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, left behind her fiancé, Ronald Weasley, and quickly made her way towards the hidden office.

"Apple pie" she told the statue before the secret entrance and crossed the opening that the gargoyle made when the password made its effect on it. Finally reaching the door, she knocked twice before it opened.

"Come in, come in" called out a voice from inside.

Hermione entered the warm office and spotted Professor McGonagall sitting behind the desk. She looked somewhat pale and flustered, but before Hermione got a chance to ask about her condition, the Headmistress motioned her to sit down next to none other than professor Snape himself. A teacup filled with lemon tea appeared in front of her, as well as a tablespoon and a jar of sugar.

Looking around uneasily, Hermione took the cup and the tablespoon ignoring the sugar hovering in mid-air in front of her. A closer look at the potions master proved that something wasn't completely right, for he looked tense as well.

"What…" before Hermione could complete her question, though, the Headmistress cleared her throat and next to Hermione, a black robed figure swiftly made its way right in front of her. Its face was hidden beneath a hood and it moved so silently and rapidly, it startled Hermione.

No one said a word and Hermione looked from the mysterious guest, to professor McGonagall, to professor Snape, completely bewildered. She finally set inquiring eyes on the Headmistress, her mouth slightly open in a failed attempt of saying something.

"Granger…"

It took a while for Hermione to realize that it had been the unknown character the one that had spoken her name. When her brain snapped out of trance and sharply yanked her back into reality, she registered the fact that she actually knew the voice behind the hood. Frowning, throwing one last confounded look at both professors, she slowly stood up, teacup and tablespoon still clutched tightly in her hands, and went to stand right in front of the stranger.

Gloved hands raised themselves towards the rims of the hood and pulled it back slowly, deliberately delaying the exposure of the face behind it. With a final tug the garment was completely down…

**_CRASH_**

The teacup smashed into tiny pieces and the hollow clank of the tablespoon rang too loudly in their ears. A very pregnant silence filled the large office.

"You…" finally whispered Hermione. Understanding finally dawning on her as to the reason behind the others' unnatural expressions. The one standing before her brought the same disbelieving, flabbergasted expression the others held time before, when they first discovered who the newcomer was.

"Yes, me" whispered the person back.

"But… but" stuttered the otherwise calm and collected Transfiguration teacher, "you… you were supposed to be…"

"Dead?" completed the one standing right in front of her.

"Why… yes!"

It was a man, the newly arrived, and he chuckled slightly… bitterly. He shook his head and removed the gloves of his hands, as if to better prove he was still alive, with blood running down his veins.

"No… I didn't die…"

XXX XXX XXX

It had taken Ron a lot more than it took Hermione to get used to the presence sitting next to him, silently sipping on some butterbeer. After a while, he had stopped pinching himself and now contented himself by gaping, shaking his head still in disbelief every now and then.

"So… you didn't die," said Hermione settling herself on a comfortable armchair facing both men. "It sure has come as a shock, but it's good to see you're still alive"

"Thank you"

"What… how…" Ron was still having a hard time taking in this information.

The other man chose to ignore the redhead's sputter and focused on the young woman sitting in front of him. She was studying him through narrowed eyes, her hands unconsciously fidgeting on her lap. The man finally sighed and set his butterbeer aside.

"I see you've been busy," he pointed at Hermione's engagement ring making her blush. "So, when are you exchanging vows?"

"Umm, somewhere around next winter" she answered now toying with the jewel incrusted golden band.

"I see… and, what have you been doing lately?"

"Well, Ron here is working for the ministry… he's an Auror. And I took professor McGonagall's place as Transfiguration teacher because she was elected Headmistress"

"That's interesting…"

An uncomfortable silence engulfed them and he couldn't take it any longer. It was pointless to discuss such unimportant things right now, when obviously more important matters were at hand.

"I suppose you're wondering why am I not dead"

"Well, it wouldn't hurt if you told us," blurted out Ron finding his voice after a while and quizzically staring at the guy.

He still had that pale, almost look-through, skin of his, sleek blond hair, and cold, blue eyes. Those eyes once filled with ice that had found warmth in someone else's presence… Hermione stared one last time at his eyes. Draco Malfoy's eyes were once again lifeless… empty.

"Well," spoke Draco "I suppose it wouldn't hurt, but then again, I can't tell you something I don't really know myself"

"What?"

"All I know is that, even though _I _thought I was dead, I found enough life in me to carry on… to come back"

"I say, that's an unexpected turn of events!" Ron was still staring, almost admiring, in utter fascination at his old school enemy. The boy, now a man, had always inspired in him nothing but pure anger and hatred. Now, seeing him there, alive and a tad battered, could only provoke admiration.

"After the war we lost track of you" put in Hermione stealing Ron's gaze for the first time from Malfoy, "and then we received word that you… well, that you had died"

Draco looked at Hermione. The woman was somewhat uneasy, almost avoiding his gaze. "That's not what you heard," he stated, not as a question, but as an affirmation.

"Er… no."

"Actually we heard you'd gone off your rocker and killed yourself"

"Ron!"

"Well it's true! That's what we heard, and added up with our fruitless search for you well it really is no surprise that Ha- er… that we all believed it, no matter how farfetched it sounded"

There was no mistaking it. Ron had been about to say something he wasn't supposed to. Hermione was staring daggers at him, only to prove Draco's suspicions.

"And it took you three years to get here, no less!" added Hermione in a desperate attempt to cover up for her fiancé's error.

"Hermione" Draco locked his eyes onto Hermione's, unabling her to look away.

"Yes?"

"What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"…" On second thought, "nothing…"

"So, three long years and you're finally back" cut in Ron in one last try to sound casual after his blunder, "what are you up to now?"

"Actually," Draco leaned back and took another sip of his butterbeer, "that's what I'm here for in the first place" a sudden eagerness replaced the calm tone of his voice, but he still sounded cool, kind of business-like.

Hermione sent Ron a glare that was sure to give him nightmares for the rest of the year. Apparently, this wasn't really the subject she had wanted to discuss, as she could already see what it would be about. Ron failed to catch on, a shiver running down his spine.

"I came here to look for Harry… where is he?"

Now Ron was mentally trashing himself. He understood why Hermione had looked at him that way and now felt stupid at not realizing the obvious before. All he hoped for now was that it wouldn't have to be him the one to answer Malfoy's question. Hermione's face drooped and he braced himself for the worse. Just as he was about to say something, Hermione suddenly spoke.

"Draco…" she weighted carefully each and every word she was about to say, pausing to chose the appropriate words. "Harry… he…"

Draco felt his stomach drop off a bungee and the blood drain from his face. A lump had formed in his throat and for some reason, he found breathing an extremely difficult task.

"Well, after you disappeared he felt terrible… I mean, after all, you were really close"

"WHERE THE HELL IS HE?"

"DRACO!" Hermione's eyes were shinning with unshed tears, "HE'S DEAD, HARRY DIED!"

XXX XXX XXX

Harry Potter stared at his image repeatedly. No matter what he did, he still had astonishingly good looks with his ever-unruly raven-black hair, emerald green eyes and very athletic body. The mirror only portrayed a handsome young man wearing a very expensive, brand new, tailored suit. But still, to Harry, something just wasn't right.

Perhaps it was the suit's color, maybe the tie, perhaps even the fact that he was still trying to get used to his new contacts… Yeah, something of the sort had to be. Because, what could be possibly wrong with an extremely expensive attire? Heck! It could even be that it was brand new and Harry wasn't yet used to see himself wearing it.

But no matter how much he turned and meticulously studied himself up and down, front to back, he still felt… uncomfortable. And even though he kept trying to convince himself it had to do with a thousand insignificances, it remained a fact that there was something, deep inside his mind, that would keep nagging him for ever, or at least as long as he wore such garments.

Sighing in defeat, Harry backed away from the mirror, throwing it one last disdainful look. He still had a lot to do and had no time to waste in a stupid confrontation with the mirror he was going to lose anyways.

Picking up his briefcase from the chair he'd left it at the night before, he quickly made his way downstairs, giving his tie one last tug to secure it in place. As usual, his breakfast was already made, and waiting for him at the dinning room was an aging man, dressed just as elegantly (and should we say expensively) as him, his face hidden behind that day's newspaper.

"Ah! Good morning" said the man lowering his newspaper when he heard Harry enter the dinning area.

"Good morning" said Harry as brightly as only four and a half hours of sleeping could allow.

"I see you've been up late at night again"

"Had too…"

The man smiled knowingly and shook his head, amused. When Harry took a seat in the fine, recently polished, oak table, and was served a splendid breakfast by a couple of maids, the man finally closed his newspaper and set it aside.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" inquired the man.

"Well…" Harry looked up from his omelet, "if you don't really trust me to take care of it, then by all means go yourself"

The man pursed his lips and frowned at the younger one sitting opposite him. Harry knew he couldn't say anything against those words.

"Of course I trust you, it's just…"

"Then go and have fun, I'll take care of everything here" interrupted Harry.

"…oh alright!"

Harry smiled inwardly. It was always the same with Mr. Robert Matthews. The good old man liked Harry so much, he would give in to practically his every will. This time was not one for an exception. Mrs. Matthews's birthday was that very day, unfortunately a Monday, and Mr. Matthews had a big meeting that day. Harry offered to attend the meeting as his representative so that the whole family could spend some quality time doing what Mrs. Matthews liked to do best: going for a visit in Europe's most ancient museums.

Mr. Matthews wouldn't have had it, on account of Harry's already heavy load with College, but Harry liked the Matthews family so much, he himself saw to it that the private jet was ready and that the entrances to a lot of museums, the Louvre in Paris included, were purchased for a week-long stay.

Hastily finishing his breakfast, Harry took a look down at his wristwatch and announced he'd be leaving in ten minutes so that his limousine could be ready. Mr. Matthews walked him to the entrance.

"Don't worry Robert, I'll have the contract on the bag" assured Harry when Mr. Matthews sighed sadly as the limousine approached.

"It's not that what I'm worried about" answered the man, "actually, I would rather have you come with us."

"I know"

It had also been a large discussion, the issue of having Harry come with them to celebrate the Mrs., but he had fervently opposed, arguing that it had to be family time, and that no one could close that deal anyways, apart from Mr. Matthews or him. When Mr. Matthews finally suggested that the meeting be postponed, Harry nearly pretended to faint, since the subject that was to be discussed was of uttermost importance for their company.

The Wizard Software Co. was Mr. Matthews's multi-million company based at L.A. Harry was about to seal a deal for the company's branching in Europe, starting with England and he was rather keen on getting the whole thing off his shoulders, because it also meant that old Mr. Matthews was just a step closer to retirement.

Don't get any wrong ideas, though. Harry was not a crazed maniac who wanted the old man to retire so he could get his hands on the money. No, Harry couldn't care less about the money. Truth was, he really, and honestly, liked the family who took him in nearly five years ago when he was aimlessly wandering around the world with only dark thoughts to bear with. After working for him for a while, Harry became Mr. Matthews' favorite, as well as junior assistant in the company. Now, Harry was going to be the co-owner of the company, and all he wanted was to see the burden off Mr. Matthews' shoulders so he could spend more time resting along with his family.

"Well, I'm off. Have fun" said Harry making towards the waiting vehicle.

"Wait! Stop right there, don't let him go!"

A voice called from up the stairs and the sound of hurried steps could be heard from the inside. Harry turned around smiling and found a disheveled girl wrapped in a silk nightgown running towards him, past old man Matthews. She flung herself to the waiting young man, wrapped her arms around his neck and delivered a passionate kiss to his tender lips. Mr. Matthews discreetly looked elsewhere while quietly retreating.

"Well, isn't this a big surprise" mocked Harry with pure sarcasm, "what is the hibernating bear doing at this hour in the morning"

The girl tried, yet miserably failed, to look mad at his comment. All she could do was peck him on the tip of the nose.

"You were about to leave without saying goodbye," she said.

"No I wasn't" protested Harry, "I went by your bedroom to say goodbye but you just wouldn't wake up!"

"Liar…"

The couple smiled at each other once more before entwining their lips once more in one last kiss.

"Come with us" whispered the girl when she parted for some air.

"I can't…" whispered Harry back, "but I promise I'll miss you"

Harry smiled one last time at the pouting image he parted from and blew a sonorous kiss at the girl before boarding the limousine.

"Have fun Sammy!"

He never noticed, but a single tear ran down Samantha Matthews's cheek. Her still disheveled and clear, blond hair waving gently behind her with the morning breeze.

"Now, now my dear, don't be so sad" Mr. Matthews came from behind and put an arm around his daughter's shoulders.

"I'm sorry Daddy, I don't know why do I get so emotional sometimes" answered Samantha back while she whipped the tear away with the back of her pale hand.

"It's alright dear… Why don't we go inside and surprise Mom?"

"Okay"

As the limousine left the entrance behind, Harry turned and saw both father and daughter enter the mansion on a happier note than he'd left them with. Leaning back he drummed impatiently on his briefcase and got ready to spend the next fifteen minutes in there, while he got to the office.

His eyes, already heavy with sleep, closed and allowed Harry to get some of the rest he very much needed. Once the meeting was over he would make sure he got the hours of sleep he'd been neglecting for so long.

It was at the time when unconsciousness reaches the mind, that particular moment when one is neither awake nor asleep, that Harry found himself mentally recalling an image. It was a person, to be precise, an unknown somebody that still felt oddly familiar.

At first a blurry shadow, the outline of the stranger became clearer as Harry was falling deeper into the clutches of Morpheus. Pale-white skin became present, as well as clear, blond hair, and the eyes… grey eyes stared back at Harry, eyes full of some emotion Harry couldn't quite define… was it sorrow? Longing? Despair?

What was the meaning of that look?

"Mr. Potter?"

Harry woke abruptly, the image completely dissolving to be replaced by bright light that burned his eyes.

"Mr. Potter, are you alright?"

"Yes…" Harry mumbled waving off whomever was speaking to him and noticed for the first time where he was.

Still inside the limousine, he had already arrived to the large building where his office was stationed, as well as the place where the meeting would take place. Apparently he had slept during the entire trip, and when the driver noticed he wouldn't get off, he personally had gone to check on his master. The old driver had found Harry peacefully slumbering, and really regretted that it had to be him the one to interrupt. But of course, if he hadn't woken Harry, the results would be worse, and there would be hell to pay.

Reluctantly, Harry left the warmth and comfort of the limousine and made his way towards the office, were the board would be probably waiting already. Allowing himself one last yawn in the empty elevator, he chanced one last thought at the dream he'd been having. He hadn't recognized the person standing there, but for some reason he felt like it was someone he ought to know better than anyone else.

The pale locks sent him wandering to his own girlfriend's hair. Samantha had hair the same color and skin just as the one in his dream. Yes… it must've been her… it _had_ to be her, because if not, who else? Harry knew no one that shared such well-known features but her… or did he?

A soft ding announced that the destination had been finally reached, and the elevator doors opened. Harry put all thoughts out of his mind, except for those regarding the meeting he was about to have, and headed for the already waiting businessmen.


	2. Victory and Defeat

**Chapter Two: Victory and Defeat**

"Where's Malfoy?"

"Outside… at the Quidditch pitch…"

"Again?"

"He'll be there forever…"

The blond man stood in the middle of the field, staring up at the tall goal posts. Even though the silence ran throughout the entire field, the echo of past cheers and laughter reverberated in his mind. Almost like ghosts, the images of time gone long ago crawled up his mind and filled his memories with regret and longing. The moments he let slip through his fingers, wasted away, made him bitter, and he yearned for nothing more than to go back… but even if he could, he couldn't change the past.

"How long are you planning to be here?"

Behind him came the brown and bushy haired young woman. She was carrying two steaming mugs. On her face was the kind of bittersweet smile that expressed that she knew well what was going through his mind.

"As long as it takes," he whispered, more to himself than to the newcomer. She offered him one of the teas she held and stood next to him, silently sipping on her own.

"No matter what I do, he'll never come back…" he whispered once more.

Hermione next to him contented herself by merely sighing. She knew nothing she could say would make him feel any better. "Come inside," she said, "it's getting late"

For the first time that day since he had left the castle he took heed of the time. The sky was tainted orange and dark blue. He turned to look over at the forbidden forest.

"Remember when we went in there during our first year?" asked Hermione following his sight.

"How could I forget," he said in a louder way, "it took me about a week to recover from the fright" He smiled, his eyes lost in memory.

Finally he obliged with Hermione's request and followed her inside, up to her quarters where Ron was busy packing.

"You leaving?" asked the pale, blond man when he entered the room and discovered that Ron was moving back and forth stuffing various belongings into one tiny suitcase. He paused to give Hermione a quick peck on the cheek and then carried on with his work.

"I must" Ron answered. "School will start here soon and my break from work is over."

"Oh…"

The suitcase was obviously bewitched since Ron managed to pack even his broomstick without too much effort. After he'd gone around the place one last time to check he'd gotten everything, he finally closed the suitcase and went over to where Hermione and Draco stood watching him to wrap his arms around his fiancée's waist. Draco's eyes darted towards this gesture and he looked away, some sort of sadness in his face. Hermione didn't fail to notice this and tried to amend things.

"Let's go down and have dinner together"

"I'm not really hungry," mumbled Draco.

"Nonsense, come on" she dragged both men by their wrists behind her until they were safely inside the Great Hall. Already there were Professor MacGonagall, Professor Snape and Hagrid.

"Good evenin'" boomed Hagrid in a cheerful voice.

"Evening Hagrid, professors" nodded Hermione. Both professors nodded back and the newcomers took seats in front of them.

" When will you be leaving Ron?" asked Hagrid.

"As soon as Hermione let's me go," grinned Ron back. "But actually I must go real soon. I wouldn't want to be in the way of the new batch of students."

Hermione could see that Malfoy at her left was thinking seriously after Ron's words.

"Then I should probably leave soon too," he said. Everyone in the table turned to look at him. "I mean, I don't really have much to do here anyways… the main reason I wanted to come here for was to catch up on what happened to the people I left behind… but that's all covered now. I guess it's time for me to catch up on some other things…" Draco tried his best to give them all an honest smile, but he had never been one to smile often.

"Don't worry mister Malfoy, you are welcome to stay here for as long as you like" replied MacGonagall in an affectionate way. Draco might've never been her favourite student while he was at Hogwarts, but things tend to change with time, and a lot had changed for them in so very few years.

"But I…"

"Whatever you are about to say is out of the question, Draco" interrupted Hermione. "Times have been hard on all of us. It's only fair that you get a hand to get yourself back up on your feet once more" she smiled sweetly at him, "we all need it once in a while…"

Draco found himself nodding.

"Good, then let's eat and quit all the talking, I don't know about you, but I'm really hungry."

The rest of the meal went by peacefully. It had been a long time since Draco had last dined with anyone. It felt good to have company once again, but he was certain it could've been better.

XXX XXX XXX

It had been a long time since Harry had last dined all alone. Usually the dinning room had at least two people in it making it look smaller. Now, as he sat there alone, did he realize how incredibly big the place was. The magnitude of the room made him uncomfortable. Harry rolled his newspaper, tucked it safely under one arm, and grabbed his plate along with his glass of juice. He headed for the back garden and sat on the small porch with direct view to his dear Samantha's precious rose garden. The place was very special to her since she loved roses, and it held great significance to both, since it was right there where Harry had confessed his love to her.

His meal tasted even better there. He had always been fond of open spaces. There was still not much of his past that he could recall, but he was certain he had always loved being outside and feeling the air blowing against him. Something about is was soothing and he almost felt nostalgic, longing for whatever he had left in his past that related to the free flow of the wind.

He sighed, taking one last look at the flowers and continued with his dinner, propping open his newspaper in search of something of interest. The Matthews' would be coming back in three more days, just enough time for Harry to close the deal for good. That day it had taken some hours, but the businessmen he had met in the morning had finally agreed and to celebrate Harry had taken them out for lunch at a fancy restaurant. Tomorrow they'd be looking at contracts and other formalities and the day after that everything was to be signed and filed away. Mr. Matthews had promised to throw a big dinner for them as soon as he got back. Another thing Harry knew was that he wasn't really fond of all those fancy dinners, but for the sake of his new family, he'd do his best to get it all in order.

He finished his dinner and began to make his way towards his bedroom when one of the butlers's intercepted him.

"Sir, you have a long distance phone call"

"I'll take it in my room, thank you." Harry quickened his pace, already certain of the person behind the call. Reaching for his phone, he made himself comfortable on his desk, ready for the long chat that was sure to come. "Hello?"

"HARRY!" squeaked an exited voice.

"Hello Sammy" Harry smiled lovingly at his girlfriend, although she couldn't see him.

"Hello Sammy? Hello Sammy? I'm half way around the planet and all you can say is 'Hello Sammy'? How could you Harry Potter?" whined Samantha in a fake hurt voice. Harry's girlfriend was such a Drama Queen, and he made sure she knew.

"Oh you little drama queen."

"Sorry my king, he, he. How are you?"

"Same as usual. Shouldn't I be the one to ask you that?"

"All right then, go right ahead."

"How are you?"

"Oh Harry! It's been such a wonderful day! We've been everywhere around Venice already. Honestly, mom seems to have a battery charger hidden somewhere because she just can't seem to get enough. She had us walking for nearly six hours before we had something to eat. Good thing the gondola ride was long enough for us to replenish our energies."

"He, he, same ol', same ol'"

"Always… but you know something?"

"No, tell me."

"It could have been better…"

"Oh Sammy, my dear Sammy"

"Don't you dear Sammy me, Potter, I still miss you."

"I know, but guess what?"

"Mmm… you're meeting up with us tomorrow in Paris!"

"Er… not quite."

"Oh well, you told me to guess… I suppose you'll just have to tell me."

"All right then. I have big surprises for all of you once you guys come back"

"Really? What kind of surprises? Oh, wait! You got the deal done?"

"Well, that was already a fact…"

"You're so vain Mr. Potter"

"He, he, I know. No, I've got an even bigger surprise for all of you."

"Then I can't wait to go back"

"You'll just have to wait. In the meantime, make sure you enjoy Paris for both of us"

"I'll try"

"Ok then, I have to go now. Tomorrow's another big day at the company and I have to get up early."

"All right, have a good night and remember to dream about me"

"Sammy! I don't want nightmares!"

"Oh Potter! You'll pay for that"

Harry couldn't see her, but he was sure she was smiling and tears were filling her eyes. She really loved him.

"Don't cry," he said.

"I'm not!" she answered failing to hide her trembling voice.

"If I tell you something nice will you promise not to cry anymore?"

"Ok."

"I have already dreamt about you, even before you left."

"Oh Harry! You fell asleep in the limo again!"

Harry laughed, amazed at how well they knew each other. "I couldn't help it. But I saw you. I always do as soon as I close my eyes."

"Thank you Harry."

"No problem Sam."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Harry hung the phone up. He stared at it for another while before realizing what was he doing. He got up from his desk and got ready to sleep. Only when he was safely tucked in his bed did Harry remember about the dream. It had left his mind for the entire day until Samantha's call. The person in the dream hadn't had a face, but he couldn't recall anyone else with such features. Only Samantha came to his mind so he just left it like that and convinced himself that it had been his girlfriend and no one else. But why had she been sad? Maybe his mind was just playing trick on him. Yes, he decided as he yawned, it was all a product of his fatigue. His girlfriend had sounded perfectly happy and there was no need to worry any further about that dream.

XXX XXX XXX

"Hermione?"

"Yes, Draco, come in."

The door opened and in came a hesitant blonde.

"I need to ask you something."

Hermione lowered her newspaper and Ron turned to look at him from the book he was reading on one of the coaches in Hermione's office. After dinner Draco had gone off to somewhere unknown and they all thought it was best to leave him alone. He still had a lot of things to sort out and surely the best option was to let him do it all by himself.

"What is it Draco?"

Draco sighed heavily. "Can I really stay here for some more time?"

At first Hermione didn't say anything, she just stared at the man before her. She had always been good at reading other people and now her instincts told her that Draco hadn't really meant to ask that. However, she understood a lot of things were still very hard on him and he needed time to recover.

"Of course you can, MacGonagall already told you so."

"But maybe she was just saying it out of pity or something. I really want to know whether I'm in the way or not… if I'm a burden."

"Draco…" Hermione made her way towards him and gently took his arm. She pulled him to sit on one of the many couches in there and kneeled right before him. "That's not really what's bothering you, is it?"

She had originally intended to just drop the subject, but she could see it was slowly eating Draco on the inside. She had once felt that way, but at the time she had had Ron and some other of her friends to support each other. She could only imagine what had Draco gone through all this time with no one to turn to.

Even Ron approached them, not at all jealous or annoyed that Draco had his fiancées attention. He hadn't seen Draco look so human in a very long time. This meant something serious was behind that sad, impenetrable mask of his.

"I…"

"It's all right. You can tell us," said Ron.

"All I want to know is how…" Draco began, decision behind his voice, "how he…" as he neared the end of his question, his voice quavered and his strength left him. A Malfoy never doubted, a Malfoy was never weak, a Malfoy shouldn't feel so lost… How long ago had he stopped being a Malfoy? One last sigh, and everything was out. "I just need to know how he died…" he whispered, a sudden lump caught in his throat when he finished his so dreaded sentence.

Hermione's jaw dropped just a bit, but she caught it on time. Ron's eyes were wide open and she could tell he was as stunned as her. She should've been expecting this, why hadn't she? Draco had torn his eyes from the floor where he had so intently glued them and was now unwilling to let them part from those of Hermione's. She looked uneasy.

"Please… tell me how…"

"We don't know" the hoarse voice that answered had belonged to Ron. Both Draco and Hermione had turned to look at him surprised. He was still staring with wide eyes, but when he realized he was now the center of attention he blinked a couple of times and backed away a bit. His arms firmly crossed in his chest, he began to tell the tale Hermione wasn't strong enough to let out.

"When you disappeared, Harry was feeling real down. I'm telling you, I had never seen him look so terrible in all my years of knowing him… not even when he lost Sirius… Your disappearance hit him hard, and after all you guys went through, I'm not at all surprised he felt that way. He tried looking for you for some time, we all did, but to no avail. You sure were damn good at hiding any trace of yourself…"

"But not even I had any idea of my own whereabouts! I…"

"I know! But at the time, we had no idea. Your mother was the only source we had left after all the searching we did…"

"But my mother was insane!"

"We also knew that, but we had no other option. After looking for you all over the place, we had to turn to the only connection we had left of you, even if it meant trusting a lunatic. Whatever information she might give us could've meant hope. We never thought it would be useful, but Harry was desperate and willing to cling to anything. After questioning her and getting some answers, we decided it was no good, and on the last day before Harry was about to give up on her, we found her… well… dead."

"I knew my mother died, I just had no idea she had taken her life" said Draco trying to ease off the guilt from Ron, "it wasn't your fault."

"She left us a message which made Harry completely break down"

"What did it say?"

"It said 'He would die'" interrupted Hermione, finally deciding to take her part in the conversation. "Harry had asked her some questions… questions we never found out about, but whenever he came out he looked serious and thoughtful, almost convinced that your mother had made sense, even if it just had been for some brief moments. After she left that message, Harry thought of that possibility for the first time during the entire search. With every passing day and fruitless search, he was even more certain that you would've indeed killed yourself."

"But… he… HE SHOULD KNOW BETTER! I ALWAYS TOLD HIM…" Draco was angry and crying. The tears burned his eyes and his fists were shaking.

"HE WAS DESPERATE!" yelled Ron back. "Don't try to blame him for it because you haven't been the only one who suffered. Have you any idea what Harry went through those last years! He was losing his mind! All he had to support him was you, you were his only comfort and you were gone!" Tears were also pouring out of Ron's eyes and this alone made Hermione start crying as well. "He knew we were here for him, but all he ever wanted, all he ever needed was YOU!"

Silence befell the room.

The only sound was the cracking of the fire in the fireplace, the blowing of the wind outside and Hermione's quiet sobs.

"I… I'm sorry…" whispered Draco.

"Well don't be" spat Ron back. "It's late now to be sorry. I don't blame you for what happened, but we all felt useless at the moment. He knew he had us, but he loved you. I've got Hermione now, and I think I understand him. If anything were to happen to her, I'd go mad as well. Nothing we said or did could bring old Harry back, and that pained us the most."

New silence around. Now Hermione's sobs had stopped.

"Two years we went looking for you, two whole years and to no avail. The war wasn't over by then, but Voldemort had been defeated. After that, Harry felt he had no reason to keep on living. More rumours were spread that you had killed yourself and he just couldn't bear it…"

"So how did he…"

"We don't know, I already told you," continued Ron. "All we know is that at the end of the second year, he went to speak to Dumbledore and he never came back. We all wanted for Harry to wait until the war was properly over, but he couldn't. He had gone through a lot ever since he knew he was the only one who could kill Voldemort that he just had to escape. In the end it was Dumbledore the one to tell us that Harry had bid farewell to all of us and taken his life right in front of him. After that, he told us no more.

"Two years later the war ended properly and then it took you three more years to come back… Harry was breaking and he looked bad, even if he had tried to wait for you, he would have never made it in that state."

"I… I… couldn't have come sooner… I was lost, I was confused. All I knew is that I had to come back here for some reason, but at the time I didn't even know where 'here' was, nor what was that reason that forced me to come back. I only knew after I'd heard Harry's name. I knew Harry had been someone special to me and only then did I find a way to return, and a way to recover my lost memories…" finished Draco in a very tired voice now. He was weary and defeated. For the first time in those days did Ron and Hermione truly see how bad had time been on him.

XXX XXX XXX

**A/N: **I know, I abandoned this fic for some time, just as I have done with so many others. However, I'll never abandon them for good, it's just that it takes me a while to get inspired once again. As you probably noticed, I got inspired and finished this chapter. I really hope you liked it, and I think I'd better warn you once and for all: I've discovered that as soon as I decide to finish it all, this fic is going to be one hell of a tragedy… probably. Oh well, if you really liked it, please review. I love feedback, it keeps me alive.


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